


It's Exactly What It Looks Like

by wastedliquor



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Also Suga and Daichi's relationship is important but not too focused on, Kageyama and Hinata are both alpha males who need to chill, Kageyama is in denial of his sexuality, M/M, POV Alternating, Slow Burn, To be honest I want this fic to hurt some hearts, getting caught
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 23:40:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29600499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wastedliquor/pseuds/wastedliquor
Summary: People have different methods of blowing off steam. For some people that includes kissing their friend.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	1. It's exactly what it looks like

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my very first time writing a proper story, so I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Also, I'm leaving this fic unrated. NSFW content will most likely show up eventually, so if it's included in a chapter I'll leave a warning in the notes for those who wish to skip it!
> 
> First names signify POV.

**THUMP**

“Move-”

“ _You_ move!”

The door to the supply closet had flung open, slamming into the wall as Tobio and Hinata pushed their way through the frame shoulder to shoulder. Tobio had only visited this closet one other time; to get an extra mop after Hinata took a ball to the face trying to receive a spike from Tanaka, giving him a _very_ messy bloody nose. This time they were looking for some type of headwear. Hinata bet he could pin Tobio on the ground faster than Tobio could pin him, boasting about how he might be smaller in size, but he is _much_ faster. Of course, he couldn’t let Hinata get away with making such claims, but Daichi refused to let them try without some type of headgear, saying he would not be held responsible if one of them cracked their head off the court because they’re both “morons.”

The tension between the two had been rising all month, but this past week had been the real salt in the wound. Tobio claimed Hinata had been slacking on his pacing _and If you knew how to pick up your feet and move maybe you’d hit the damn ball!_ Hinata claimed Tobio had a stick up his ass. So, with a week full of snarky quips and passive-aggressive tosses, it was a matter of time before one of them snapped to release some pent-up energy. This might be the only reason Daichi agreed to let them wrestle in the first place.

“Why’d you have to pick such a stupid place to look?” Hinata huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood in front of the door, letting it close behind them.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t the best spot to pick. This closet was less of a closet and more of a room by the size of it. Tobio remembered it having extra sports equipment, but he didn’t remember it having this much stuff. Equipment from all sports lined the walls, and boxes filled in the extra floor space. Torn nets, deflated basketballs, and what looked to be a few lost and found boxes. You name it and it’s probably in here somewhere. Splitting up one-third of the room was a 3-tier storage shelf, which did nothing to help the cramped atmosphere. The air felt stuffy.

“Why’d you have to make such a stupid bet knowing you’re going to get your ass handed to you?” He spat back, making his way over to a particularly overfilled box on the bottom of the shelf separating the room.

He sifted through it, and all it contained was a bunch of mismatched practice jerseys. All of which were littered with holes. Maybe they had their work cut out for them. Behind the box of shirts, there was an old off-white volleyball. Tobio picked it up and chucked it behind him at Hinata as quick as he could.

“And how about you start doing something? I don’t have time for your laziness.” He said.

Hinata barely caught the ball as it drilled into his chest, knocking some of the air out of his lungs. “Laziness?” he wheezed, “What’s your problem lately? You’ve been nothing but a jerk all week!”

Hinata took the old ball and tossed it back at his teammate – _hard_. The toss played out a little too much in his favor, bouncing off the back of Tobio’s head with a loud thump. Tobio lurched forward and paused, gripping the sides of the box in front of him.

“Me?!” he snapped, turning around with a look so sour you’d swear it would wilt the flowers outside. “I’ve been the jerk?!” he was rising at an eerily slow pace to face Hinata, his voice rising as well. “You’ve done _nothing_ all week! What do you expect; me to kiss your ass while you slack off?!”

“ _No_!” Hinata chirped. He was looking off to the right of Tobio – standing with his chest puffed – not ready to back down. “You’ve been on my ass lately, and I haven’t even done anything wrong!” he was beginning to shout, and without looking at him, Hinata moved to the box next to Tobio’s and began purposelessly shuffling it around. “It’s always _jump higher, run faster, hit harder!_ Nothing is enough for you lately!”

Frustrated, Tobio grabbed the side of the box Hinata was looking through and yanked it towards him letting the contents spill out behind him. “How about you try working harder then!” he scowled.

Hinata turned to look Tobio in the eye now, “How about you work _with_ me for once instead of barking in my ear!” The venom in Hinata’s voice caught him off guard. Usually, he took Tobio’s instructions – or anyone’s for that matter – in stride. Hinata was someone who thought there was always room for improvement, so why did he sound so bitter?

He turned away, walking behind and around Hinata to the other side of the shelf to avoid his glare. He tried to keep him from noticing he was winning this argument. Maybe he _has_ been particularly hard on Hinata this past month, but for a good reason. He only wanted him to improve. _And_ he has been having annoyingly consistent thoughts about Hinata lately, and he didn’t like it. He hated the way he felt excited around him when he entered a room and didn’t understand where any of this was coming from. Something had flipped a switch in his brain, and he _hated_ that it was because of Hinata. He’d catch himself watching him more during practice, and Tobio’s constant daydreams of playing volleyball included playing volleyball _with_ Hinata now. He doesn’t know what Hinata did, but he is starting to believe he got some witch to put a hex on him so that Hinata could annoy him 24/7.

“I wouldn’t have to bark in your ear if you put in some work every once in a while,” he said, pretending to go through another box.

Hinata followed him around the corner, and Tobio was taken back again by the look on his face. Hinata looked at him with such a fearsome look, he didn’t know what to make of it. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were lit with pure fire. Tobio was sure those eyes would burn the whole gym down if they could. But Hinata’s lips curled down in such a strained frown, Tobio thought his teammate might end up crying. The look did something to him that he didn’t understand; he was stuck between wanting to headbutt Hinata and pulling him into a hug.

“You know better than anybody that I’ve been trying!” Hinata’s voice showed no indication of tears, and he stood with such confidence that he looked larger than life. Tobio glanced down – noticing Hinata’s hands were curled in tight fists at his sides – and began to feel cornered. Was Hinata about to punch him in the back of this dark closet? His heart began to beat faster, feeling overstimulated by the sound of Hinata’s voice and energy, and his own rushing thoughts. “What am I doing wrong that’s been pissing you off so much!”

“ _Nothing_!” Tobio shouted, his body beginning to pump adrenaline into his veins. He kept his head down, scowling into the box in front of him.

“It’s obviously not nothing!” Hinata was gritting his teeth now, “Quit being so dense and just tell me!” With that, he shoved Tobio at his shoulders, forcing him to almost lose his balance into the boxes behind him.

He steadied himself, and his head snapped to look at Hinata so quick there was an audible crack. If looks could kill, Hinata would be dead twice over by now, but he still held his ground. Until Tobio took two steps closer to him and grabbed him by the jaw. And until he used that iron grip to lean down and kiss him.

Tobio could feel his heart in his throat, and a bit of blood in his mouth. He leaned down with such force he smacked his top lip on Hinata’s teeth. He just wanted Hinata to calm down, and this was the only thing that came to mind. His stomach twisted when he realized what was happening and pulled away. His hand was still on Hinata’s jaw when he looked down at him. His teammate’s shoulders relaxed, alongside most of his face as well. But there was an animalistic rage in his eyes making Hinata look rabid.

Tobio dropped his hand back down to his side, “I-“

Before he could finish Hinata’s fingers were wrapped around the back of his neck like a hawk, pulling him back down. His breath hitched in shock, but his mouth was muffled by another set of lips. He didn’t understand what was going on but ran with it anyway. The adrenaline running through his body made him feel like he was floating, it made time flash by in an instant. Neither of them knew what they were doing, and the two kissed with such aggression Tobio wasn’t sure their lips were touching for half of it considering the spit he now had on his chin. All he knew is that it felt good, and it was keeping Hinata from punching him.

After a few messy kisses – Hinata was the one to make the next move – sliding the tips of his fingers up the sides of Tobio’s gym t-shirt to pull it up over his head. As he pulled away to let him, he got another glance at Hinata’s face, and the dark blush that covered it went straight to his gut. This was the first time feeling his whole chest flutter in a way that made him think something was wrong. Hinata shouldn’t make him feel this way. But he was looking up at him with such bloodlust, Tobio wasn’t sure if he was just misreading the situation. Which was something he was quite good at. Hinata was looking at him like he was trying to hurt him, but the only way to do so was with his mouth.

With the t-shirt tossed to the side, Tobio leaned back in. If they were going to fight it out this way, he wasn’t going to be the one to lose. Using his height and mouth, Tobio directed Hinata backward until they ran into the boxes behind them. Seeming to take the hint, Hinata hopped up on them and pulled Tobio in between his legs. He seemed to know how to control the situation better, and that only pissed him off more. He started to think of how something like this would play out in movies. Couples desperately clawing at each other to get closer. Thinking of him and Hinata as a couple made him pause, but just as he was about to lean back in there was a click of a doorknob.

“We shouldn’t be in here during practice.” a firm voice said.

“I know~” followed a sing-songy tone.

Tobio’s blood ran cold, thinking about how nobody should be back here. To his knowledge, nobody from practice uses this hallway except Shimizu-san and Yachi-san. The storage room they were in was tucked back in a corner across from the girl’s restroom. And these were not girl voices.

“You’re going to get us caught eventually.” said the first voice again.

“I haven’t yet!~” there was a pause, “C’mon, we haven’t had any alone time with club and classes taking up all of our time.”

Tobio looked down at Hinata who’s brows were bunched in concentration as he listened in, his eyes drifting to the floor. Tobio couldn’t understand why he wasn’t panicking. _They are the ones in trouble here!_ He thought. Without the storage shelf blocking their way, they’d be completely exposed to the two standing on the other side. As Tobio went to take a step back away from Hinata, the two heard a soft wet smack. Hinata locked eyes with Tobio, stunned.

“Was that a kiss?” he mouthed, not daring to speak out loud.

“I think so.” Tobio mouthed back, blood rushing back to his face. Not only was he worried about getting caught doing _whatever_ the hell they were doing, he now felt like he just walked in on something he shouldn’t be hearing. Especially between the two whose voices he finally recognized _. I need to get out of here_ he said to himself.

“You could’ve just walked me home or something Suga, you didn’t have to corral me here.” said the deeper voice, sounding a bit more endearing this time. A voice Tobio learned to fear and respect simultaneously.

“What’s the fun in that?” Sugawara said, his smirk almost audible. “Besides Daichi, I-“

**_THUMP_ **

“What was that?”

Tobio’s throat tightened as he looked back at Hinata, who seemed to crush the box under him as he attempted to hop down.

“Hello?” called Daichi.

Tobio spun around, frantically searching for his shirt. Fight mode turned to flight mode and he caught himself holding his breath. He had a few seconds to find his shirt before they ended up in a situation they couldn’t explain. Unable to find it behind him, he turned to Hinata. As he did, Hinata tossed the shirt directly at his face - and without thinking - Tobio threw it on.

“Uh, hey,” Sugawara said as he peered around the storage shelf, Daichi joining him at his side. Tobio was straightening out his clothes, with Hinata brushing off his own behind him as the two came into view.

Daichi stifled an uncomfortable laugh, “When did you two get back here?” His hand was resting on the back of his neck, his face coloring in the dark.

Tobio was holding his breath again, unable to speak. He felt like a deer caught in the headlights. He didn’t even fully understand what just happened, how could he ever explain it to these two? He began to feel lightheaded, but he could hear the muffled voices of his teammates talking around him. _Run_ was all his body was telling him. So, he did. Brushing between his captain and vice-captain he headed for the door, unable to exhale until he heard the click behind him. He leaned forward to put his hands on his knees, bracing himself in case he threw up. _Now what?_ he thought, _I’m never going to be able to show my face in club again._

“Kag-“ he knew someone was speaking behind him, but he couldn’t hear them.

 _I’ll have to come up with a plan to avoid everybody. Where will I go to play volleyball? I’ll have to-_ Tobio seemed to have gone from holding his breath to hyperventilating.

“Kageyama!” Hinata’s voice finally broke through his trance. Tobio looked back over his shoulder, still bent over. His face looked pale with worry. He could see Sugawara and Daichi peeking out from the doorframe behind them.

“Are you okay?” he asked, leaning forward to reach out and touch Tobio’s shoulder. Instinctively, he flinched away, his body screaming at him to run again. With quick strides he left the hallway and reentered the gym, catching a glimpse of Hinata in the glass on the door - standing bewildered behind him. He was watching him leave, his hand still extended out. Tobio kept his head down as he walked across the court, ignoring those still practicing and those calling out to him.

“Where have you been?” called Tanaka.

“Dude, you don’t look so good,” Nishinoya said, his voice much quieter than usual.

“Hey, I think you should sit down for a minute.” added a very concerned Asahi.

He didn’t stop until he made it to the doorway, ready to step outside when he heard a particular comment that made his hair stand on edge.

“Your shirt is inside out.”

It came out snarky and stopped him in his tracks. He looked up to see Tsukishima planting his arm on the doorframe, looking smug about his observation. Tobio felt his muscles tense and fought against everything in him telling him to punch Tsukishima square in the glasses. It was the sound of a door opening behind him again that got him to move. He didn’t want to be around when everyone started asking questions. He marched right up to their locker room and grabbed his bag, not bothering to change or even flip his shirt out the right way. He knew his mother would ask why he was home so early, and why his clothes were the way they were, so he decided not to go home yet.

To his relief, nobody seemed to follow him out of the gym. He kept his hands in his gym shorts pockets as he walked, not too sure where to go. He felt like he could walk for miles, far away from that gym. He thought about the warmth he felt in his chest when he kissed Hinata. His first kiss. It wasn’t what he expected it to be. Instead it was very messy and almost _sharp_. Tobio never thought about kissing girls, but he did think about kissing in general from time to time. He thought about how he would approach the situation if it ever came; what way he would tilt his head, how fast he would lean in, if he’d try using tongue. Never in a million years would he have imagined it would start with him violently grabbing the person he was kissing.

 _Hinata_. In the moment Tobio was overcome with such frustration he just wanted Hinata to _shut up_ , even if it was by force. He just didn’t want to hit his friend or get hit back. But if it was just something he _did_ , why did he feel so embarrassed getting caught? Tobio thought about the way Hinata’s fingers felt gliding up against his exposed skin. It made his face heat up – and his head feel dizzy – but in the moment, it just made him want more. Maybe it was just his hormones acting out because he already had adrenaline flowing through him. And what was going on between Sugawara and Daichi? Him and Hinata heard something seemingly intimate between them in that room as well. Another conversation he wasn't looking forward to. Suddenly he felt sick.

Tobio made his way up to a small park that he passed every day on his commute. It wasn’t very park like and was rather secluded - a perfect place to sit and be alone. Sometimes he liked to stop here on his way home anyways to study in silence. He made his way over to an old wooden bench located under a large tree. Tossing his bag on the ground, he sat down and immediately leaned forward to place his head between his hands. He finally felt like he could breathe again now that he was truly alone. He didn’t even realize he was crying until he pulled away and saw his palms were wet. He felt ashamed - like he just did something to disappoint his parents.

 _Why the fuck did I let that happen_ he thought, _I just didn’t want to fight._ At least that’s what he told himself. Sure, he was struggling with figuring out what his recent thoughts regarding Hinata have been about, but this has nothing to do with that. Right? He wasn’t gay. He wasn’t interested in _anybody_ like that. At least that he knew of.

 _Gay_. The word made his stomach drop, making him feel queasy. He didn’t _want_ to be gay. He was so used to hearing the rest of the team gushing about cute girls, especially Nishinoya-senpai and Tanaka-senpai. How would they even react? _I’m not gay_. Tobio leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees while he cupped his hands together. His cheeks still damp from tears.

 _What happened means nothing. Those kisses meant nothing._ Tobio could feel his face harden, trying to let those words sink in as he repeated them to himself. Fifteen minutes passed before Tobio moved again. Reaching into his bag at his feet, he pulled out his phone to check the time.

_6 missed messages._

He never heard his phone go off, but without checking the senders, Tobio cleared his notifications and checked the time instead. He’d make it back home only five minutes early if he left now – so he shoved his phone back into his bag and stood to gather his stuff. When he arrived, his mother was in the kitchen cooking dinner.

“Hi, sweetheart~” she called, “I’m just about to finish up if you’re hungry!”

Tobio felt numb. “I have some studying to do if you could just save me a plate please,” he replied, removing his shoes.

“You shouldn’t study on an empty stomach dear.” she turned around the corner, meeting Tobio at the door. She looked concerned, and rightfully so. Tobio looked a mess, and he never turned down dinner after practice. _Gotta build muscles_ and all that.

“Really, I’m okay.” He met her eyes, mustering a weak smile. Something he didn’t do often. “I stopped by the convenience store after practice and grabbed a protein bar.”

She didn’t believe him, and he knew that. Not only did she know that one protein bar wouldn’t be enough – she also knew he was home early, so a stop at the store was unlikely. “If you say so.” she smiled back meekly, “I’ll leave your plate in the fridge.” Leaning in she brushed his hair back off his forehead and left a soft kiss before returning to the kitchen.

The queasy feeling in Tobio’s stomach returned as he headed up to his room. Shutting the door behind him, he turned on the light at his desk and laid out his school materials. He stared at them, and they stared back. He never had the intention to study, but he wanted to set the scene in case his mother came up to check on him. Turning around, he made his way over to his bed and lifted his comforter to crawl under it. _I should change out of these clothes._ He thought as his head hit his pillow. Not only was he sticky from sweating – his shirt was _still_ inside out.

He heard his phone chime from across the room as he closed his eyes. _I’ll only rest for a little._ Another chime. Before he knew it, exhaustion took over and he was snoring. It was the quickest he’s ever fallen asleep. He woke again sometime in the middle of the night with a painful urge to pee. At some point his mother must have come to check on him, evident of his door being left open when he went to sleep with it closed. After his bathroom break, he managed to sleepily strip to his boxers, still feeling disgusting. It was far too late to wash up, so he crawled back into bed, thankful the warmth didn’t leave his sheets. He was out again in seconds, sleeping through the night until morning.

Seems he finally let out all that energy.


	2. I didn't hate it either

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama won't speak, and Hinata doesn't know what it means to give someone space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter feels horribly rushed to me, but I've been sitting on it for so long I gotta post it and move on. Enjoy nonetheless!

_1 week._

It’s been 1 week since Shoyou spoke to Kageyama last. Well, it’s been 1 week since Kageyama spoke to anyone at all. After what happened at practice last Thursday, Shoyou couldn’t get ahold of him until the next morning, his multiple texts the night before going ignored. After begging Sugawara to _call him until he picks up, I don’t care if he’s sleeping!_ Kageyama – surprisingly – picked up on the first attempt.

“Hello?” he remembers Kageyama sounding sleepy, even though it was past the start time for morning practice. Shoyou had cornered Sugawara and Daichi that morning before they got the chance to enter the locker room. Daichi said to leave Kageyama alone and give him space, uninterested in letting him push any buttons. Sugawara shrugged but didn’t seem too thrilled either. He only agreed to it because Shoyou seemed worried.

“Hey-“ Sugawara sounded extremely uncomfortable like he was about to give someone some bad news. “I noticed you weren’t in the gym already. You on your way?” Shoyou and Daichi stood at the bottom of the stairs, huddled around Sugawara who held the phone up to his ear. So much for Daichi being uninterested in the phone call.

“I won’t be there today, sorry,” Kageyama said, his voice clear through Suga’s phone speaker. There was a pause, the 3 of them waiting for a reason. He seemed to pick up on this, “I uh, ate some bad fish last night at dinner.” _Liar_ Shoyou thought, he could feel his body tensing up. He never took Kageyama for a causal liar, he’s always been blunt with everything he’s had to say. So, the fact that he was clearly ditching school did nothing but offend him.

“Ah, sorry to bother you so early then. I’ll let you get back to sle-“ Shoyou snatched the phone from Sugawara’s hands, turning his body around hunching over to shield it from being taken back. “Hey!”

“Liar!” he shouted out loud this time, feeling his knuckles tighten around the phone, “You’re avoiding me because of yesterday!” Shoyou’s eyebrows were bunched as his eyes burned into the ground. Sugawara and Daichi didn’t seem to reach for the phone, knowing better than to get between an angry dog and its bone. There was a pause on the line, and every second Kageyama took boiled his blood. “Say something!”

“There’s nothing to say,” Kageyama responded flatly. Shoyou could imagine how bored he must look sitting on his bed while he was over here trying not to overheat. Bastard.

“What do you mean there’s nothing to say?” Shoyou said, standing straight again. There was a hint of pain in his voice as if Kageyama reached through the phone himself and punched him. “So, you’re just going to ignore what happened?” he suddenly felt like he was standing alone, lost and vulnerable, unsure where to go. The sudden realization that what happened might negatively affect the friendship he and Kageyama have been working towards made his hair stand on edge.

“I’m not going to talk about this with you Hinata,” Kageyama said sharply. The conversation started to feel like a double-edged sword, one wrong move ending in blood. Shoyou felt his throat tighten and his face wrinkled, beginning to feel embarrassed. He didn’t expect to have some long in-depth conversation about what happened, but no conversation at all felt worse than if Kageyama decided to respond with hostility.

“But-“

_Click._

Kageyama hung up, sticking by his word. Shoyou’s hand dropped to his side, still holding the phone. Instead of running thoughts, his mind couldn’t seem to manage anything at all. He didn’t really know what to think. Not only was he already dealing with his own confusion on what happened yesterday, but he was also dealing with worry about what the aftermath would look like. Not only was he concerned about their friendship, but more importantly; _would Kageyama still toss to him?_

“Hinata-“ Sugawara said, reaching his hand out to grab his shoulder so he would face him and Daichi – and he did.

Looking at the ground, Shoyou offered the phone back to Sugawara, letting him take it from his hand. “Sorry, I should’ve done that myself. I just didn’t think he would answer if I called him on my own phone.” He was flexing his hands outwards, not sure what to do with them. He felt uncomfortable. “I’ll uh, let you two go get changed.” as Shoyou went to walk past them, Sugawara planted his hand square in the middle of his chest, stopping him abruptly.

“We still haven’t talked about yesterday either.” He said, Daichi nodding in agreement. He took his hand off Shoyou.

“What do you mean?” he sounded confused, raising his eyebrows, “I didn’t know we had anything to talk about.” Did _they_ want to talk about him and Kageyama? It was understandable if his senpai were worried – but considering Shoyou’s phone call with Kageyama went south – he wasn’t sure what there was to talk about.

“Well, there’s two things I think we need to touch base on,” Daichi said, crossing his arms in an attempt at looking serious. The farce fell apart quickly when he stole an uneasy glance at Sugawara, “First being about what you might’ve seen or heard in that closet yesterday.”

“What? You two kissing?” Shoyou said, still obviously confused on where exactly this was going. He figured they’d be more interested in him and Kageyama’s situation, but maybe that was a bit self-conceded to think.

“Uh!” Daichi’s arms unfolded. He seemed taken off guard by how shamelessly Shoyou said it out loud. “Yeah, that.” His face was starting to turn pink and he took another look at Sugawara, pleading for help with his eyes this time.

Sugawara looked at Daichi, unable to hold back a laugh at how quick he unraveled. He rested a firm hand on Daichi’s shoulder, squeezing him, “We just don’t want it getting out to anybody here at school. Especially the team.” His voice was much smoother considering the topic.

Hinata’s eyebrows scrunched, trying to make sense of what was being said. He didn’t understand why they were trying to hide what happened. Sure, he was surprised to find out these two were somehow involved romantically, but he didn’t think it was anything shameful. _Is what happened with Kageyama something I should hide too?_ He thought, beginning to feel anxious about Kageyama’s reaction on the phone. If he was so persistent on not talking, maybe it was?

“Can I ask why?” he asked, feeling his own cheeks blush a bit. Romance was always something Hinata secretly longed for, and he’s always been comfortable with himself and the things that interest him – though they mainly consisted of girls. He never really considered how a relationship with a boy would be perceived. It wasn’t something that scared or disgusted him, but it wasn’t something he thought about often either. Girls were always pretty to him – but so were some boys – just in a much different way. Shoyou remembers thinking Kageyama is kind of pretty, even though his face can be utterly terrifying sometimes. He tended to feel this way when Kageyama let himself be more expressive.

“We just don’t want anybody feeling uncomfortable or thinking there’s any favoritism going on,” Daichi added, gathering his composure again. “Our families have known, and other than you and Kageyama, Asahi is the only other person who knows.”

Shoyou perked up, letting his concerns momentarily fade as he felt he had just been let in on an elite secret. “So how long?” he asked.

“How long?” Daichi’s eyebrows raised, confused.

“Yeah, how long have you two been together?” he was smiling now. Sugawara and Daichi were the first friends he’s known to have dating experience, and it was with each other! Letting his hopeless romantic side get the better of him, he had a thousand questions he could ask bouncing around in his head.

“Towards the end of our first year.” Daichi responded, looking at Sugawara as if it would help him remember specifically, “So almost 2 years now.”

“Really! Tell me how it all star-“ Shoyou was bouncing on his toes, suddenly excited. He was interrupted by a very stern-looking Sugawara, who was currently elbowing Daichi in the side for allowing the change in subject.

“Hinata,” he interrupted, “I, uh, would like to talk about _your_ situation now.”

Oh right, that. Shoyou had gotten so caught up in the opportunity to pry that he forgot about his own problems for a moment. Problems he wasn’t even too clear on, no thanks to Kageyama.

“I just wanted to let you know that you can always come to talk to one of us,” Sugawara said. Usually, he was the one who was good with his words and pep talks, but right now he looked a bit nervous. “I, uh-“ he wasn’t looking at Shoyou anymore, but off to the side of him. “I don’t know your thoughts or situation, but I had a strange journey of my own when I was figuring myself out.” Now they were making eye contact, and Sugawara began to speak faster, “I just wanted to make sure you knew you aren’t alone, and if you needed help sorting anything out we could lend an ear.” He was standing straight up now, rubbing his hand to the back of his neck sheepishly as he grinned with faux confidence.

Shoyou assumed Sugawara was nervous because of the way he was dancing around making any assumptions, and he felt grateful for that. He smiled and leaned forward to bow, “Thank you.” As he stood back up, he could see the looks on his friends faces relax, glad their talk with Shoyou wasn’t met with an extreme range of emotions the way the phone call was with Kageyama. The three managed to disperse, and practice continued as normal that day except for a few gentle glances.

The weekend passed uneventfully, but when Monday came around the first effects of their altercation began when Kageyama showed up for morning practice. The morning started with Shoyou, Daichi, and Sugawara discussing their concerns when Shoyou pointed out that Kageyama wasn’t anywhere to be seen again. When he managed to walk in late, something flickered in his stomach. A mix of frustration on how nonchalantly Kageyama walked in, and fear of seeing him for the first time since the storage closet. His nerves shot right to his gut, and he excused himself to the restroom for a portion of practice. When he finally rejoined the rest of the team, he noticed uneasy looks coming from Daichi and Sugawara. It didn’t take him long to realize why his captains looked so unnerved. Kageyama wasn’t speaking. Not even to respond to the unwarranted quips Tsukishima was giving about his previous absence or tardiness. As practice went on, the whole team seemed to pick up on Kageyama’s newfound vow of silence. Shoyou knew there was no way he wasn’t picking up on the nervous whispers behind his back and was stunned he had gone this long without snapping at the team.

When practice finished up Shoyou caught Kageyama changing in the locker room, anxious to see most of the team had already come and gone. As he grabbed his own things and began changing, he found himself shifting his way closer to where his teammate was standing. Almost back to back, he impulsively took his chance to clear the air.

“Yamaguchi says you’re scarier when you’re quiet than when you’re yelling.” He said in a hushed voice, not trying to pick up the attention of the few still in the room. Kageyama didn’t seem to acknowledge he was speaking, but that didn’t stop Shoyou from continuing now that he felt more energetic. “I can’t tell if I agree with him or not,” he said, his voice becoming more lighthearted as he stifled a small laugh. Pulling his shirt over his head, he added on, “You’ve had a freak look in your eye all day, but I don’t think that lives up to the way you look when you shout.” When he pulled his head through the neck of his shirt, Shoyou looked over to Kageyama but was only met with a clothed back as it walked away. Kageyama was already halfway across the locker room by the time he finished his sentence, clearly uninterested in anything he had to say. Shoyou’s shoulders slumped as he watched him walk out the door, deflating. He caught the eyes of Daichi who was giving him a very meek smile. Kageyama wanted to ignore that anything happened, but ironically, he was making that very hard.

The rest of the day went on the same, and so did the next two. It wasn’t until the current Thursday that Shoyou had enough. It has officially been 1 week since Kageyama spoke, and he was determined to make that change. Their afternoon practice was filled with one-sided remarks and _a lot_ of confused looked from those around him. Nobody wanted to get involved with whatever was going on, so when it came to practicing receives Shoyou managed to snag Kageyama as his partner. Yachi hesitantly agreed to toss for Kageyama, looking nauseous when Shoyou asked. He felt bad dragging her into his stunt and made a mental note to thank her later. He filled the gym with positive remarks and snarky feedback, trying to say anything to get Kageyama’s attention. It wasn’t until he noticed a few particularly sharp serves that he knew he was making a dent. As time went on, Shoyou became more frustrated. The small responses only managed to make him try harder, resorting to full-blown one-sided conversations with himself as he followed Kageyama around the gym. He decided he was going to annoy the words out if he had to.

It wasn’t until he watched Kageyama walk out the locker room door again that he realized he might fail. He could feel desperation lifting in his chest as he chased after him, ignoring Sugawara calling his name behind him. He was running out of options and was grasping at straws to extend his efforts.

 _Maybe Kageyama would break if they were alone._ He thought.

Hinata managed to grab his bike before darting off, jogging to catch up and slowing down to a walk when he got beside him. Now that there weren’t any watchful eyes, Shoyou felt a surge of confidence and anger. “Y’know, I was going to put what happened behind us, but you’re making it pretty hard to do so.” He had his hands wrapped tightly around the handlebar of his bike as he guided it, hopelessly believing it would keep him grounded. Glancing at his partner, he wasn’t surprised to see he still wasn’t being acknowledged.

“If you won’t talk, then I will.” Shoyou spat, his expression beginning to twist as he watched Kageyama while they walked. “I tried giving you what you wanted, but you won’t drop this act of yours. _You’re_ the one who kissed _me_ in the storage closet anyways!”

For the first time in a week, Kageyama looked at Shoyou, and it was the same vicious look he gave him in the storage closet after getting hit in the back of the head.

“See! You haven’t let it go either! Just talk to me so we can get this over with!” Shoyou was shouting now, completely ignoring the businesses and houses they were walking past. He didn’t care if anybody else heard him anymore. Kageyama looked back in front of them, his face remaining sour as they walked, still not speaking.

When the two normally walked home together, they always separated at the same T-shaped street, and Shoyou was suddenly hyper-aware of it approaching. He _could_ continue to follow Kageyama – but he had promised Natsu he would toss to her before dinner, and he hated to go back on a promise. As they hit the end of the street, he stood alone as Kageyama began to walk the other way. Whatever he was going to do, he had to do it now or all his efforts would go to waste.

Shoyou dropped his bike on the sidewalk and ran after his friend, planting the palms of his hands into his back. The shove snapped Kageyama’s head back and sent him stumbling forward a few steps, barely catching himself. He paused for a moment, and Shoyou braced himself while he clenched his fists to his sides. If a fight was going to get him to move on, then so be it.

But the fight never came, and Kageyama straightened his bag over his shoulder as he began to walk away again. Shoyou started to panic and did the only other thing that came to mind. He took a few quick strides forward, grabbed Kageyama by the shoulder, and spun him around. Shoyou could hear him begin to say _Leave me alone_ but caught him in the middle of saying _alone_ and pressed their lips together. When he finally opened his eyes, he was looking at the sky. The kiss only lasted a second before he was shoved to the ground.

“ _What is wrong with you_?!” Kageyama was looming over him now, looking like he might murder him. He could see his teeth were clenched and his entire face was turning red. Whether it was with anger or embarrassment, he couldn’t tell.

“You wouldn’t talk to me!” Shoyou shouted, pushing himself up on his elbows but not willing to stand just yet. He didn’t want to be shoved again.

“I _don’t want to_ talk to you, dumbass!”

“Why?! Because you don’t want to talk about what happen?!” this made Kageyama recoil. “I don’t know what you want from me! Do you want me to say I hate you or something?”

“Yes!”

Shoyou sat up finally, “Why would you want that?” his voice was beginning to lower. He didn’t want to have this conversation anymore.

“Because it would make this easier!” Kageyama on the other hand was just as exasperated as before. Ironically, Shoyou liked to see him this way. “I don’t want to talk about what happened or what it means! I already know!” He finally let out a breath, letting his shoulders drop.

Shoyou moved to his feet and brushed off his clothes, convinced he wasn’t going to get pushed again. “Well, _I_ don’t know what it means –” He said, his voice sounding soft and sad. He was happy he got Kageyama talking again but the mood felt much different than their other arguments. “but I do know that I don’t hate you Kageyama.”

Kageyama let out a shallow sigh, “I don’t hate you either.” He mumbled, barely audible. Shoyou noticed how exhausted he looked and felt a pang of guilt for pushing him all day. He really had no idea how Kageyama was handling any of this, but it didn’t look like he was sleeping much.

 _He looks like shit_ he thought, his constant concerns from the past week now feeling valid. Awkwardness filled the air, and he felt the urge to comfort Kageyama, which was an awkward thing in itself. He didn’t know how to, so he went with the only thing that came to mind.

“So, I uh-“ Shoyou was being shy suddenly, rocking back on the balls of his feet, “I also know I didn’t hate the kiss either.” He crossed his arms behind his back, feeling heat creep across his cheeks. He hoped that him saying so would put Kageyama at ease, but it felt strange to say it out loud, and his stomach was starting to feel sick.

Kageyama's entire face was now beet red. “I said I don’t want to talk about this.” His voice was still quiet, but at least he was looking at Shoyou.

“I know!” Shoyou chirped, trying to reassure him that he wasn’t going to push. “I just wanted to put it out there, so you knew I wasn’t mad over it.” He smiled gingerly to try and settle himself, “So anyway, can you drop this mute act? You really are freaking everybody out. Yamaguchi thinks you secretly murdered someone.”

“Good,” Kageyama smirked, finally relaxing. “I’m going home now – I’ll see you tomorrow.” With that said he turned his back and began to walk away, and Shoyou let him.

“Cya!” he shouted, grinning confidently now, and turned his own back to walk in the opposite direction. He picked up his bike and hopped on, realizing he needed to haul ass to make it home on time. He still owed Natsu a few tosses.

Dinner went as normal, and when he was finished, he retired to his room. For once Natsu didn’t peek in and ask to play, even though he wished she did – wanting the distraction. Alone with his thoughts, Shoyou flopped down onto his bed face-first into his pillow. It felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders and he could breathe again. While the situation wasn’t completely sorted out, he was happy he still had his friend in the end. Maybe now he could quit worrying and sort through his own feelings. He was surprised to hear Kageyama say he _already knew_ what happened in that supply closet and what it meant to him but considering all the quiet time he had these past few days, it made sense. He couldn’t get the faint bags Kageyama had under his eyes out of his mind and hoped their small talk would relieve him somewhat of whatever was keeping him awake, even a little bit.

Shoyou could hear his phone chime from his pocket and dug it out to check it. With one eye still shoved into his pillow, Shoyou peeked out with the other to see who texted him.

_1 new message_

Opening it up, he felt his heart jump into his throat. Maybe he _did_ have an idea of what Kageyama meant by he already knew. The text was only one sentence, but it was enough to flip his stomach and send him to the bathroom for the next half hour.

_I didn’t hate it either._


End file.
